The designers of the Russian Sukhoi Su-57 fifth-generation fighter jet, including Director of the Sukhoi Design Bureau Mikhail Strelets, stated that U.S. F-22 Raptor can’t be used to air-to-ground and support ground operations.

According to Russian specialists, who developing Su-57 multi-functional aircraft, the US-made F-22 fighter jet is don’t capable of effectively accomplishing missions to destroy ground targets. US Raptor aircraft that are focused only on specific tasks of air combat.

“The F-22 was initially developed as an aircraft to gain air superiority. But eventually, the Americans realized that it was essentially wrong to design the aircraft only for carrying air-to-air missiles and made an attempt to fit air-to-surface weapons into the existing configuration of its compartments. But the configuration of the compartments did not allow placing larger cargoes,” Director of the Sukhoi Design Bureau Mikhail Strelets also said in a live broadcast of the Zvezda TV Channel on Friday.

It remains unclear what the Director of the Sukhoi Design Bureau meant, but the well-known that F-22 Raptor was designed primarily as an air superiority fighter, but also has a ground attack, electronic warfare, and signal intelligence capabilities.

For its support ground role, an F-22 fighter jet can internally carry two 1,000 pound-class GBU-32 Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) with the Global Positioning System-guided or eight 250 pound-class GBU-39 Small Diameter Bombs, two AIM-120C, and two AIM-9 missiles in the internal weapons bay.

Also on F-22 can be fitted four under-wing pylon stations to carry weapons, each with a capacity of 5,000 lb (2,270 kg). However, if mounted, external hardpoints will compromise the stealth of the fighter. The pylon itself is designed for minimal impact on aircraft performance. If it becomes necessary for the pilot to jettison the external stores, the entire pylon is jettisoned along with the tank or missile launch rails. The pylon has an aft pivot, so when the stores are jettisoned, the forward attach point is released first, the pylon rotates on the pivot, and then the aft pivot is released. This motion allows the pylon, along with the tank or launch rail to clear the aircraft when it is released into the slipstream.

F-22A fit check of the GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bomb (USAF Photo).

F-22 Raptor Weapons

It is also worth recalling that F-22 complete its first combat mission in 2014. The mission involved targeting and striking an ISIS command and control building in Syria. According to news reports, the mission was a success.

The Aviationist also released photos showing one of the 12x F-22s belonging to the 95th FS from Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, with 15 barely visible bomb markings.